A pit bull and its irresponsible piece of 
owner killed my mom's German Shepherd.
https://www.terraforums.com/forums/general-discussions/123867-neighbors-pit-bull-attacked-dog.html
When I was in a pet doctors waiting room I took out one of my 8 weeks old kittens
the dog came close slowly without any hints of agression with the line really tight hold by the owner
suddenly after a short sniff the dog tried to bite the kitten literally missed it by a centimeter or less
the dog totally freaked out and the owner had a serieous issue to control that 20-25kg dog
I got atm 7 weeks old kittens and one tried to get milk on my nipple in my bed of course no milk and then it bit me
Very sorry to hear this Mattlward.
I wish your daughter a quick recovery, both physical and mental.
Having been bitten in the face myself by an otherwise friendly family dog,
I have tried to dispense the facts and statistics to folks about the dangers of pit bulls,
and am frequently met with defensiveness anger and disbelief. I been called “breedist”
more than any other word ending in “ist”.
Out of 340 recognized breeds of dog , two of them, Pit Bulls and Rottweilers
have been responsible for 76% of dog bite fatalities over the last 15 years, with Pit Bulls alone responsible for 65%.
A quote from Pit Bull Myths - Dangerous Dogs - DogsBite.org
(I highly recommend you read here for rebuttals to the common defenses for Pit Bulls)
“Myth #1: It’s the owner not the breed
The outdated debate, “It’s the owner, not the breed,” has caused the pit bull problem to grow into a 30-year old problem. Designed to protect pit bull breeders and owners, the slogan ignores the genetic history of the breed and blames these horrific maulings — inflicted by the pit bull’s genetic “hold and shake” bite style — on environmental factors. While environment plays a role in a pit bull’s behavior, it is genetics that leaves pit bull victims with permanent and disfiguring injuries.
The pit bull’s genetic traits are not in dispute. Many appellate courts agree that pit bulls pose a significant danger to society and can be regulated accordingly. Some of the genetic traits courts have identified include: unpredictability of aggression, tenacity (“gameness” the refusal to give up a fight), high pain tolerance and the pit bull’s “hold and shake” bite style. According to forensic medical studies, similar injuries have only been found elsewhere on victims of shark attacks.”
If it’s the owners, I’d be equally content with banning pit bull owners.
Broward County Florida is a haven for dog-fighting. It’s rampant. I’m friends with an animal control officer and the stuff he tells me would make you want to shoot those people on sight. Dade county banned Pitbull onwnership over a decade ago. Not Broward.
I’m surprised Michael Vic has not relocated to Broward County Florida.
Broward County Florida has a history of covering up and protecting the dog fighting racket. Only one arrest I know of in 20 years was Derek McNair. Things that make you go hmmmmmmm.
Sorry to hear about this. Im glad it wasn’t worse. I just had a close call with my 2 year old. He was giving our house cat a hug and the cat clawed his eyeball. The white of his eye was filled with blood for a few weeks. Luckily there was no permanent damage. I had to find a home for the cats where there are no kids around.
I hope your daughter heals quickly and isnt permanently afraid of dogs.
My umm-friend had her lower face almost pulled off by a freakin’ beagle. Same dealy, scritch-scritch-scritch, “Bye-bye, I gotta go…” then wham!, the Jaws Of Death takes a bite, tastes blood, then takes another bite to try to finish the job. Bad scene.
Sorry, I love dogs, but if I see something like that, I’m going for the first heavy blunt object and making like the cur’s a baby seal.
And nope, even at the vet’s, I’ve seen dogs “sniff” other critters and then make a big gaping lunge for ’em. No way I’d let one near one of my critters.
i dont know why people keep pitbull as a pet, it is very agressive, a dangerous predator, blah blah
if i want a dog as a pet, i will go with more neutral dog, like Shiba Inu
Hope your daughter recovers well from this Matt!
Sorry to hear this. I hope she’ll recover very quickly.
My late parents had dogs way before I was born, and I’m their only child that inherited that inclination.
So I have had dog’s since I got married, and the only logical ending to that situation would be the (future) question of getting a new one with a chance that it would survive me/us.
Over the years I have learned a few things.
There are breeds of dogs that make me cross the street when I’m walking my dog(s). Better safe than sorry.
There are dog-owners that make me cross the street when I’m walking my dog(s). No matter what breed they have.
I NEVER let children approach my dogs unles I have them (the dogs) on a leash I can control every last move they make.
And I always tell children that approach my dogs that before petting one of my cheerful looking dogs, they explicitely must ask permission to the owner (me and/or any other owner) AND their parents.
Because my smallest dog is not a happy puppy but a moody old lady from a different brand (miniature schnauzer).
Personally I don’t think that a “sane” dog will ever attack a child that still has the smell of afterbirth ( pardon my French).
But after a certain safety periode kids will come in the age that the order within the group is put on the agenda by the dog.
That’s the critical fase, because a dog is always on the lookout for two things: food and climbing (!) the social ladder.
Let me finish with the words I should have started with: hopefully things are returning to a normal state in your family.
My Brother and his Wife are Veterinarians, and won’t allow anyone to bring their pitbull, rottweilers, or chows (and a few other breeds) into the clinic without a properly strapped on muzzle. I have taught my kids to never stick their face up to a dogs face, of any breed.
The problem with “pitbulls” is that its a term that actually refers to a few different breeds of dog, and I can’t think of them all off the top of my head but some of them have been bred and bred and bred and inbred and inbred and inbred to the point that they are just not the same dogs as they were 20-30 years ago.
Now I will stand up for the english staffordshire terrier which in the UK has been called the Nanny dog because it is a breed that falls under the umbrella of pitbull but is an utterly fantastic breed of dog that is well known for being one of the best dogs you can have for kids.
I was under the impression that all pit bull breeds were bred and trained to kill other dogs.
Thanks for raising awareness about PitBull dangers, may it contribute to the safety of other little girls, boys and elders, i hope your girl will not keep too much physical and pshychological scars.
The stats are clear, almost all dogs killing humans (and a ton of other dogs) are pit bulls, when you point this fact pit bull lover are prone to accuse you of hating this breed, but it has nothing to do with hate, this animal is not responsible for it’s genetics, carefully selected by men to favor the agression of the breed, if anything i pity the creature that is frustrated of it’s natural agression by the justified upbringing of most of his masters.
I understand that sometimes life puts a dog (that might be a pit) on your path and that you want to provide and care for him, but i cannot fathom people who deliberatly choose a pit bull over every dog breed especially if they have toddlers.
It may go beyond a personal choice, and be a public safety matter, who would want people be allowed to walk with their tiger or lion ?
Terrible news mattlward, best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Huge debates with Staffordshire bull terriers (Staffies) in the UK. Several maulings leave a hugely divided public opinion. The defence is made easy the media always portray a chav with a staffie, rightly or wrongly, and so the owners are easy to blame. They certainly have bred traits that would mean I could never leave a child unattended with one.
I’m on the fence about Staffies, but I feel a need to defend the breed as I own a breed also tarnished with a poor reputation, a Doberman. I don’t know Staffies but I do know my Doberman, I take precautions but I’d trust him more than anyone else’s dog around any humans but even with the remotest possibility of aggression I still wouldn’t have him unattended around children.
The statistics don’t favour the pit bulls unfortunately, 1982-2006 dog attacks PDF
Thanks for the insightful post Henk4U2
They are the same dogs according AKC (which now calls them American Staffordshire Terriers) and Pitbull Rescue Central. People call them different names because they don’t want them associated with the name “Pitbull”. In the UK they call them Nanny Dogs, in the US they call them Guard Dogs.
correctamundo, for a human its a frendly intimate gesture, In doggie its a challange. why do you think friendly doggies start at the rear to say hi?
a few years back one of my neighbors about lost an arm to a pitbull.
same scenario.suddenly turned on him.
i heard a bunch of commotion and by the time i got out there this guy had a sheet wound around his mangled arm.told me to go get my .44.
he shot it and left it for authorities to test for rabies.came back negative.
over $100k in medical expenses and he still does not have good use of that arm.